Nick Jonas is a musician, actor, and co-founder of Beyond Type 1. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in November 2005 at age 13, he has spent more than two decades living with the condition and advocating for greater awareness, education, and support.
I was 13 years old and in the middle of one of the Jonas Brothers’ first tours when I knew something was wrong. In just two weeks, I’d lost nearly 25 pounds. I was constantly thirsty, going to the bathroom, getting regular cramps, and my attitude had become more than that of an irritable teenager. While I didn’t know what was wrong, I knew I needed to see a doctor.
Fast forward, I was sitting with the paediatrician and heard the words “You have type 1 diabetes.”
Immediately, I saw my future flash before my eyes: Will I be able to perform again? Am I going to die? This certainly wasn’t what anybody predicted.
I wasn’t just scared for myself; I was scared for my family. As a kid, you think your parents have everything figured out. Seeing mine just as confused and distraught as I was terrified me.
For years, I accepted that my diagnosis was something no one could have anticipated. But now, more than 20 years later, I understand something I couldn't at 13: my diagnosis may have come out of nowhere, but my type 1 diabetes didn't.
What most people don’t know is that 90% of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes have no family history. Because of this, many families—mine included—have a massive blind spot. We assume we’ll know if we’re at risk. We assume diabetes will give us a warning. Too often, we don’t think about our health at all until something is already very wrong.
But today, we know more. We can identify the early stages of type 1 diabetes months or even years before symptoms appear. For families, that early detection can provide something that I think about often: time.
Nick Jonas on May 19, 2026 in New York City.Theo Wargo—Getty Images
I think about what more time could have meant for my own family. While early detection wouldn’t have changed my diagnosis, it could have changed how and when we learned about it. Maybe my parents wouldn’t have had their diabetes “crash course” at the same time their 13-year-old son was sitting in a hospital bed. Maybe my brothers wouldn’t have been scared that they were going to lose their sibling. Maybe I could have known what was happening with my body rather than feeling out of control. Maybe we could have been more prepared.
And my family’s experience is far from unique. For too many people, the first time they learn about type 1 diabetes is in crisis. Research shows that up to 40% of young people in the U.S. with the condition arrive at diagnosis in diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, a serious, life-threatening complication of diabetes.
For years, I thought stories like mine were just how diabetes happened. You got sick. You found out. You figured out how to live with it. But science has changed, and our understanding of diabetes has changed. I’m just not sure the public understanding of diabetes has changed.
That matters because misconceptions about diabetes are everywhere, and they aren’t just about what life looks like after a diagnosis. They also shape whether we recognize our risk in the first place.
I’ve seen the impact of those misconceptions firsthand. It’s one of the reasons I co-founded the non-profit Beyond Type 1 in 2015: to change the way diabetes is seen and understood, build a community where people don’t have to face it alone, and help create a world where diabetes doesn’t limit a person’s life or possibilities.
And this blind spot isn’t unique to type 1 diabetes. Millions of Americans are living with type 2 diabetes, while millions more have prediabetes and don’t even realize it. But our assumptions about age, weight, lifestyle, and family history shape who we think is at risk. Those assumptions create stigma, which can discourage people from getting tested and finding the support they need. Diabetes is hard. Shame makes it harder.
A diabetes diagnosis is not a personal failing. There should be no shame in understanding your risk and seeking care if needed.
The tools for detecting type 1 and type 2 diabetes are different. But the principle remains the same: knowing you have diabetes sooner gives you more time to act. It’s not about living in fear or trying to predict the future, but about recognizing that we have information today that many families, including mine, didn’t have when I was diagnosed.
If there’s one truth I want to yell out loud, it’s this: you don’t have to wait for diabetes to announce itself. A simple blood test can detect type 1 diabetes before symptoms appear by looking for autoantibodies. For type 2 diabetes, regular blood sugar checks, including an A1C test, can help catch high blood sugar early on.
So, what's the first step? Just talk to your doctor. Find out if you're at risk and what signs to look out for. Ask about screening options that make sense for you and your family. And if you’re unsure where to start, you can learn more about diabetes risk, screening, and early detection here.
Now that I’m a dad, I understand my parents’ fear now in a way I couldn’t then. I think about what it must have felt like to watch their child lose nearly 25 pounds, only to learn that he had a lifelong condition that would change his life—and theirs—forever. It's a really tough thing for a parent to go through, and I can see now that it wasn't just about me, it was about all of us.
This also rings true for the physical and mental toll type 1 diabetes takes, not just on the person diagnosed, but on the entire family. From constant monitoring and planning ahead to food calculations and technology management, diabetes burnout is real. My diabetes management tests my resilience daily, and while I’ve been living with type 1 for over 20 years, I know the emotional demands on my parents, my siblings, and, now, my spouse don’t just go away; they evolve.
Whether it’s you or a loved one who’s been diagnosed, the right guidance can make all the difference.
I wish my family's experience with my diagnosis could have been different, but hopefully, others will be better equipped to handle a diagnosis. While there's a lot about diabetes that's unpredictable, that doesn't mean we can't be prepared for what's to come.
What if people with diabetes could check their blood sugar without needles or test strips? That possibility is driving interest in non-invasive glucose monitoring, a technology designed to estimate glucose levels without breaking the skin. A recent study evaluated a device that uses near-infrared light in adults with type 2 diabetes. Although early findings are encouraging, important questions remain about accuracy, safety, and whether these devices could eventually replace finger-stick testing or continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).
How Needle-Free Glucose Monitoring Works
Traditional blood glucose meters require a small blood sample, usually obtained through a finger stick. Meanwhile, CGM systems use a sensor inserted beneath the skin to measure glucose in interstitial fluid. Both approaches provide valuable information, but some patients find repeated testing uncomfortable or inconvenient.
Newer needle-free devices aim to overcome these barriers by estimating glucose levels without breaking the skin.
One promising approach uses near-infrared spectroscopy, a technology that analyses how light interacts with body tissues. Different substances absorb and scatter light in distinct ways. Therefore, researchers can study optical signals and use mathematical models to estimate glucose concentrations.
The recently evaluated GLUCUBE device uses this principle. Users place a finger inside the device, which sends near-infrared light through the fingertip. Sensors detect the transmitted light, while specialized software processes the information to estimate glucose levels.
However, glucose signals are difficult to isolate because water, tissue composition, and other biological factors influence light transmission. As a result, personalized calibration is necessary to improve accuracy.
In the study, participants completed 10 paired finger-stick measurements during initial calibration. Afterward, the device could provide on-demand estimates without routine finger-stick testing.
Importantly, this is not continuous measurement. Unlike CGM, the device provides readings when users actively perform a test.
Researchers enrolled 52 participants in a prospective, single-centre study in Spain. Participants performed four paired daily measurements for approximately three weeks, comparing the experimental device with the Ascensia Contour Next blood glucose meter.
Of those enrolled, 48 participants contributed 2,616 paired measurements to the primary analysis after calibration.
The study produced several notable findings.
First, the device achieved a combined mean absolute difference and mean absolute relative difference (MAD/MARD) value of 16.3. This combined measure used absolute differences for glucose values below 100 mg/dL and relative differences for higher readings.
Additionally, 69.8% of measurements fell within the study's predefined accuracy range of ±20 mg/dL for readings below 100 mg/dL or ±20% for higher readings. Approximately 86.3% met the wider ±30 mg/dL or ±30% criterion.
Researchers also evaluated clinical risk using the Parkes consensus error grid. About 69.9% of readings fell within zone A, while 29.1% fell within zone B. Another 1.0% fell within zone C, with none in the highest-risk zones D or E.
These findings suggest that most readings would carry limited clinical risk. Nevertheless, zone B results can still differ meaningfully from reference measurements.
Accuracy improved after the first week, suggesting that user familiarity or calibration stability may influence performance. No device-related adverse events were reported.
Although encouraging, these findings do not establish that the device can safely guide medication adjustments. Indeed, participants continued using conventional glucose measurements for treatment decisions throughout the investigation.
How Accuracy Compares With Established Glucose Monitors
Accuracy remains the biggest challenge for needle-free glucose technology.
Established CGM systems have demonstrated stronger analytical performance in clinical studies. For example, the Dexcom G7 has reported MARD values below 10% in clinical evaluations.
However, the GLUCUBE investigation used a combined MAD/MARD measure, so its overall value should not be treated as directly equivalent to conventional CGM MARD. Even with this distinction, the researchers concluded that the experimental system's precision remained below that of established CGM technology.
Another important concern involves glucose extremes.
The primary analysis excluded reference values below 70 mg/dL. Consequently, the study could not establish reliable performance during hypoglycaemia, when accurate readings may be especially important.
Performance also declined at higher glucose concentrations. For readings above 180 mg/dL, MARD reached 21.4%, and fewer than half met the predefined ±20% accuracy criterion.
Furthermore, researchers compared measurements with a home glucose meter rather than a laboratory reference method. The study also involved relatively few participants at one centre.
These limitations matter because incorrect readings can influence treatment decisions, particularly among patients taking insulin or medications that increase hypoglycaemia risk.
GLUCUBE is a different type of device, and the study reports that it subsequently obtained European CE marking. However, its stated intended use does not include guiding insulin dosing decisions. European marking should not be confused with FDA authorization.
What Comes Next for Needle-Free Glucose Testing
Despite current limitations, optical glucose measurement could eventually offer meaningful benefits.
For patients reluctant to perform finger sticks, an accurate needle-free option might encourage more frequent monitoring. Additionally, simple on-demand measurements could provide another way to observe glucose patterns between clinical visits.
Nevertheless, larger studies must establish whether these benefits translate into improved diabetes outcomes.
Future investigations should include more diverse populations, longer follow-up periods, and laboratory-based reference comparisons. Researchers must also examine performance during rapid glucose changes, hypoglycaemia, and significant hyperglycaemia.
Another priority involves reducing reliance on individual calibration. A device requiring repeated finger sticks during setup may still create barriers for some users.
For now, clinicians should explain the difference between promising experimental performance and proven treatment-guiding accuracy. Patients considering new monitoring technology should discuss appropriate options with a qualified healthcare professional through resources such asHealthcare.pro.
Ultimately, dependable results matter more than convenience alone.
Conclusion
Needle-free glucose technology continues to advance, and the latest GLUCUBE study suggests that near-infrared light can help estimate glucose during everyday activities.
However, its measurement accuracy remains below that of established CGM systems, particularly at higher glucose levels. Furthermore, the absence of sufficient hypoglycaemia data limits conclusions about its safety during critical situations.
For now, needle-free systems may offer a complementary monitoring approach rather than a replacement for validated blood glucose meters or CGM devices.
Continued research could bring painless glucose testing closer to routine diabetes care, but clinical reliability must remain the priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can needle-free glucose monitors replace finger-stick tests?
Not yet for all clinical purposes. Current evidence does not establish that the GLUCUBE system can safely replace conventional glucose testing when making medication or insulin dosing decisions.
2. How does near-infrared glucose monitoring work?
The device sends near-infrared light through tissue and analyses the resulting optical signals. Calibration algorithms then estimate glucose concentrations without drawing blood during routine measurements.
3. How accurate was the GLUCUBE device in the recent study?
Its combined MAD/MARD value was 16.3, with 69.8% of readings meeting the study's ±20 mg/dL or ±20% accuracy criterion. Accuracy was weaker at higher glucose levels.
4. Can people who use insulin rely on needle-free glucose monitors?
Investigational accuracy results are not sufficient to support insulin dosing decisions. People using insulin should follow their healthcare team's recommendations and rely on appropriately authorized glucose-monitoring systems.
5. When will completely needle-free glucose monitors become widely available?
Some devices have reached specific markets, but broader adoption depends on regulatory requirements, improved accuracy, and additional clinical evidence. No reliable timeline applies to all devices or countries.
This content is not medical advice. For any health issues, always consult a healthcare professional. In an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency services.
Even people at a healthy weight can develop it without knowing
Right this second, a staggering number of people are living with diabetes. Globally, around 590 million adults have the condition, including some 40 million Americans.
But there’s an even more common blood sugar disorder that gets far less attention: prediabetes. An estimated 635 million people worldwide have the condition, including some 115 million Americans – more than two in five US adults – and most are thought to have no idea they have it.
Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to meet the threshold for diabetes. It usually causes no obvious symptoms and can affect people who are a healthy weight, meaning there may be little reason to suspect anything is wrong.
But no symptoms doesn’t mean no harm. Prediabetes is an independent risk factor for heart attack and stroke, and not just because it can develop into diabetes down the line.
One large US study found that people with prediabetes had 25 per cent higher odds of a heart attack even after accounting for other risk factors like blood pressure, cholesterol and weight. High blood sugar, it turns out, starts damaging blood vessels well before it crosses the line into diabetes.
So far, so scary. But the good news is that prediabetes doesn’t have to progress. In many cases, it can be reversed with relatively simple lifestyle changes – and, for some people, without even losing weight.
Photo credit: Getty
The path to diabetes
To understand what makes prediabetes different from diabetes, it helps to know how blood sugar is supposed to work in the first place.
When we eat, our body breaks down carbohydrates into a sugar called glucose – one of our main sources of energy. Getting that glucose out of the bloodstream and into our cells is the job of insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas. Insulin acts a bit like a key, unlocking cells so glucose can enter and be used for energy.
Diabetes develops when this system stops working properly and blood glucose levels become too high. Left unmanaged, high blood sugar can cause serious health complications, including cardiovascular disease, stroke and problems affecting the eyes, feet, kidneys and nerves.
There are several types of diabetes, but the two you’ve probably heard of are type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks the cells that produce insulin, and isn’t caused by lifestyle factors.
Type 2, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of cases, develops when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or stops responding to it properly – a problem known as insulin resistance.
But these changes don’t happen overnight. Before someone develops type 2 diabetes, their body may begin struggling to keep blood sugar under control, causing glucose levels to creep above the healthy range without becoming high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. This is prediabetes.
A blood test is the only reliable way to catch prediabetes, since it rarely causes any noticeable symptoms - Photo credit: Getty
Because prediabetes usually causes no obvious symptoms, it is typically detected with a blood test. One of the most common is the A1C (or HbA1c) test, which gives an indication of average blood glucose levels over the previous two to three months. There is no internationally agreed threshold for prediabetes, but in the US, an A1C result of 5.7–6.4 per cent falls within the prediabetes range.
Crucially, though, prediabetes is a warning sign rather than a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. And crossing into that range doesn’t mean developing the disease is inevitable.
What really causes prediabetes?
So why do some people develop prediabetes while others don’t? There’s no single cause. Instead, your risk is shaped by a mixture of factors – some you can influence, and others you can’t.
Among those you can’t control are your genes. Having a family history of type 2 diabetes raises your own risk of prediabetes. Age matters too, as does ethnic background: people from Black African, South Asian or African Caribbean backgrounds, for example, are at higher risk than those from a White background.
Then there are the factors you can influence. “Body weight is a crucial factor,” says Roy Taylor, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Metabolism at Newcastle University, UK.
Taylor’s pioneering work with people with type 2 diabetes has shown that substantial, sustained weight loss can put the condition into remission, returning blood glucose to healthy levels.
He’s found weight doesn’t affect everyone in the same way. Some people develop prediabetes despite having a healthy body mass index (BMI), while others can live with obesity without developing it. According to Taylor’s research, one reason may be not simply how much fat we carry, but where our bodies are able to store it.
Taylor’s work suggests that each of us has a genetically determined “personal fat threshold” – essentially, a limit to how much fat our body can safely store beneath the skin.
Once this subcutaneous storage begins to reach capacity, excess fat starts spilling over into less healthy places, accumulating as ‘visceral’ fat around our internal organs and as ‘ectopic’ fat within the organs themselves.
Two organs appear to be particularly important here: the liver and pancreas. When too much fat accumulates in the liver, it interferes with the organ’s ability to regulate the amount of glucose it releases into the bloodstream.
“Your liver constantly supplies your body with fat for energy, but if there’s too much fat in the liver, it produces more than is needed,” says Taylor.
When too much fat builds up in the liver, it starts releasing more glucose into the bloodstream than the body needs - Photo credit: Getty
The liver also sends excess fat out into the bloodstream, some of which can accumulate in the pancreas. There, too much fat can disrupt the insulin-producing beta cells, making it harder for the pancreas to release enough insulin to keep blood glucose under control.
Rising blood glucose can then contribute to the production of yet more fat, helping to drive the cycle onwards.
Importantly, this process begins before someone crosses the threshold into type 2 diabetes. “The fat inside the liver is at a maximum before type 2 diabetes develops,” says Taylor.
This helps explain why BMI alone can be a poor guide to someone’s risk. A person with a relatively low personal fat threshold may begin storing fat around and inside their organs at a lower body weight, while someone with a higher threshold may be able to store considerably more beneath their skin before that happens.
People who develop this pattern despite having a healthy BMI are sometimes described as TOFI – ‘thin outside, fat inside’ or ‘metabolically obese, normal weight’.
Unsurprisingly, diet and physical activity both also shape our risk of prediabetes – partly by affecting how much fat we store, and partly through their own direct effects on blood sugar control.
Poor sleep and chronic stress have also been linked to the condition, though Taylor says these likely play a smaller role.
With so many factors at play, and so few visible signs, it’s hard to know just from looking at someone – or even from how you feel – whether prediabetes is present. The only way to know for sure is to get your blood sugar tested. The information below can help you get a sense of where you stand, but if you’re concerned, Taylor recommends asking your doctor for a blood test.
Know your risk
A handful of organisations, including the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have developed short questionnaires that estimate someone’s chances of developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, based on factors like age, weight and family history.
The quickest way to check is the ADA’s 60-second quiz – but broadly speaking, these tools flag a higher risk if:
You’re 45 or older
You have a parent, sibling or child with type 2 diabetes
You’re physically active fewer than three times a week
You’ve been told you have high blood pressure
You’re carrying extra weight, particularly around the abdomen
You’ve had gestational diabetes, or given birth to a baby weighing over 4.1kg (9lbs)
You’re from a Black African, South Asian, African Caribbean, Hispanic or Native American background
This isn’t a diagnosis, but the more of these that apply, the more worth raising with a doctor, especially since prediabetes so rarely causes any symptoms of its own.
How to reverse prediabetes
A prediabetes diagnosis doesn’t have to lead to type 2 diabetes. Research suggests that programmes focused on diet and exercise can help up to 52 per cent of people with prediabetes bring their blood glucose back below the prediabetes range.
The earlier you take action, the better – but it’s never too late to make changes that can improve your blood sugar and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Here are five expert-backed ways to get started.
1. Focus on losing weight
Weight loss is the single most effective way to reverse prediabetes, because it targets the hidden fat that drives the condition in the first place. The good news is you don’t need to lose a huge amount to make a difference.
“Losing five per cent of your body weight is a good target for the average person with prediabetes,” says Taylor.
Dietary changes aimed at reducing overall calorie (energy) intake are key to achieving this, and Taylor’s main focus is on reducing the quantity of food consumed – and making this a regular habit.
He recommends cutting down portion size where possible. “Can you halve the amount of rice or pasta, for example?” he says.
Using a smaller plate can trick the brain into feeling satisfied with less food, making portion control easier without noticing the difference - Photo credit: Getty
Reducing snacking between meals, and alcohol intake, will also help keep the calories down. But treats aren’t off the table. “If you’re over-treating, then a fairly substantial reduction might be in order, but cutting them out completely is not appropriate,” says Taylor.
“Someone in our type 2 diabetes study wanted to keep having a glass of red wine every Friday evening. He still achieved 20 per cent weight loss.”
Another easy win: watch how many types of carbohydrate you’re piling onto one plate.
“If you find reducing portion size difficult, a simple rule could be to make sure you don’t have more than one type of carbohydrate on your plate,” says Frank Arsenyadis, a clinical-academic dietitian at Leicester Diabetes Centre, UK.
In practice, that might mean skipping the fries with your lasagne, the naan with your rice or the garlic bread with your pizza.
Weight loss isn’t just for people who are overweight or obese, either. Even those with prediabetes who fall within a healthy BMI range often carry excess fat around the waist – a common sign of the visceral fat we covered earlier.
That said, there are limits. Losing enough weight to drop into the underweight category isn’t safe, so if you’re ever unsure, it’s worth speaking to a doctor.
2. Make simple food swaps
Most healthy eating plans for prediabetes share a few common threads – many of which won’t come as a surprise.
It’s recommended to build your meals around non-starchy vegetables like carrots, broccoli, onions and salad greens. Also, choose foods that are less processed and lower in added sugar.
And where you can, go for whole grain versions of carbohydrates – cereals, rice, bread, pasta – rather than their refined equivalents. Whole grains contain more fibre, which slows digestion and helps blunt the glucose spikes that follow a meal.
Swapping white bread, rice and pasta for whole-grain versions helps blunt blood sugar spikes, so there's no need to cut carbs out altogether - Photo credit: Getty
Protein matters too, but the source matters as much as the amount. Prioritise lean or plant-based options such as skinless chicken, fish, beans and lentils.
“Red or processed meats such as beef, pork, ham, salami and bacon are high in saturated fat, and studies have shown that they increase your risk of type 2 diabetes,” says Arsenyadis. If cutting out your beef chilli entirely feels like a step too far, look for your supermarket’s leaner red meat option instead.
Another swap worth making: sugar-sweetened drinks have also been linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, so if you’re reaching for a soft drink, go sugar-free.
The beauty of a food swap is that it works twice over. “Every time you make a decision to eat one thing, you’re actively making a decision not to eat another thing,” says Arsenyadis. “You’re avoiding a negative effect and inducing a positive one.”
3. Reduce your visceral fat
Weight loss is the standard advice for reversing prediabetes, but it isn’t the only path.
A 2025 study led by researchers at the German Center for Diabetes Research found that around one in five people who didn’t lose weight during a lifestyle intervention programme still managed to reverse their prediabetes.
How? They changed where fat was stored in their bodies. These participants had effectively shifted fat away from visceral stores (the harmful kind packed around your organs) and into subcutaneous stores (the kind just beneath the skin).
The researchers stress this isn’t a reason to abandon weight loss as a goal, but it does show that losing weight isn’t the only route to healthy blood glucose.
Shifting fat away from around your organs and into storage just beneath the skin can improve blood sugar control, even without losing overall weight - Photo credit: Getty
So how do you know if you’re carrying too much visceral fat? Your waist-to-height ratio can offer a rough guide. “If this ratio is over 0.5, you’re probably living with excess fat here,” says Arsenyadis.
And if you are, how can you reduce it? There’s evidence that swapping saturated fats for unsaturated ones leads to less visceral fat gain.
Good sources of unsaturated fat include olive oil, avocados, olives, walnuts, almonds and oily fish like salmon and mackerel – all staples of the Mediterranean diet, which also leans heavily on fruit, vegetables, whole grains and plant-based protein, while keeping red meat and processed food to a minimum.
That said, no single diet has a monopoly on results. “The major dietary impact on prediabetes overwhelmingly comes from the amount of diet, not the type of diet,” says Arsenyadis.
4. Get moving – even a little
Any form of movement helps if you have prediabetes. As your muscles work, they pull glucose straight out of the bloodstream to use as fuel – no insulin required. Even something as simple as a 10-minute walk after eating has been shown to blunt the blood sugar spike that follows a meal.
Exercise also makes your body more responsive to insulin over time. “While we’re exercising, we burn through the glycogen [stored glucose] in our muscles,” says Dr Elise Brown, Associate Professor in Wellness and Health Promotion at Oakland University, US.
“Our body works to replenish those stores, becoming more sensitive to insulin as it grabs more glucose than usual from the bloodstream.” That effect can last for up to three days after a single workout.
Aerobic exercise – rhythmic, repetitive activity that uses large muscle groups, like swimming, jogging, cycling or dancing – is particularly good at burning body fat
Health organisations including the ADA recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week, which works out to around 30 minutes a day, five days a week. But you don’t need to start there.
“This is where we start to see consistent health benefits,” says Brown, “but it’s something to build up to. A good starting point might be 10 minutes a day.”
5. Add some resistance training
For longer-term improvements in blood sugar control, it’s worth adding some resistance – or strength – training to your routine. The reason is simple: strength training builds muscle, and muscle is one of the main places your body stores glucose.
“Larger muscles act as a larger ‘reservoir’ for storing glucose, helping to reduce the amount of glucose in the bloodstream,” says Brown.
And you don’t need to become a bodybuilder to benefit. A 2026 study found that people who consistently did at least 30 minutes of resistance training a week had a 42 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who did little or none.
You don’t need a gym, either. Brown suggests putting together a simple home routine of around five exercises, focusing on movements that work several muscle groups at once.
“Go for movements that use multiple joints,” she says, suggesting squats, lunges, wall push-ups, bent-over rows and glute bridges.
If you’re new to strength training, start small. Try one set of five repetitions of each exercise and gradually build up to three sets of 15. Resistance bands or free weights can add an extra challenge as you get stronger.
“You want to be aiming for at least two sessions of resistance training a week,” says Brown.
And small changes outside your workouts count, too. A 2025 study found that simply cutting the amount of time spent sitting each day by 30 to 60 minutes was enough to improve metabolic health.
Ultimately, the best routine is one you can keep doing. Reversing prediabetes doesn’t mean it can never return: blood glucose can rise again if the changes that brought it down aren’t maintained. So rather than treating exercise as a short-term fix, focus on building habits that can realistically become part of everyday life.
